The road to cross country team’s return has been a two-year stretch. On Saturday, that road met an eight-ton crane.

Members of Loyola’s cross country team were unable to kick off their season because of a car accident on the Pearl River Bridge on Interstate 10.

The accident’s delay forced them to miss the meet.

Runners sat idle in a chartered bus for more than two-and-a-half hours early Saturday morning as traffic was bumper to bumper.

According to Mary Erin Imwall, communications sophomore, the bus driver learned that a truck had overturned on top of another car on the bridge. Responders used a crane to pry the truck off and clear a passage way.

By that time, only a third of the way to University of South Alabama at Mobile, Ala., the meet had begun.

The team decided to turn around and head back home.

“It wasn’t even worth it,” Imwall said. “The meet already started.”

The team left New Orleans at 5 a.m., and 37 miles into the trip, ran into a complete stop.

When traffic began to progress, it was nearing 9 a.m.

The meet started at 8:30 a.m.

During the wait, Imwall said players busied themselves by watching a movie and relaxing.

“We were just trying to figure out what happened.”

The bus driver, whose name is unknown, left the bus and walked to a truck driver to inquire about the traffic jam, Imwall said.

They learned through a radio transmission that an accident had occurred. There were no known injuries.

Saturday’s missed meet shortens an already brief season. In the past five years, Loyola has had an average of eight meets. This year’s schedule includes six meets.

The ‘Pack will begin their season Saturday at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge. Because the ‘Pack has no home meet, Saturday’s meet in Baton Rouge (80 miles away) is the closest one to Loyola.

The last time Loyola competed in the LSU Meet in 2004, the women’s team finished in seventh place.

The men did not accumulate a team score, according to Loyola’s athletic website.

Michael Nissman can be reached at [email protected].